Ashland, OR Road Trips

Ashland is a small town, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, one of the largest and oldest regional theaters in the country. Southern Oregon University balances the tourist population with students throughout the year. The weather is relatively mild, with a few days of snow in the winter, several days of 100F weather in the summer. Some believe that the town resembles northern Italy or Switzerland, with snow-covered peaks in the winter, a lake not too far away in the valley, and a nice, small-town, community feel that is oh-so-rare these days in the States. There are two main business districts: one downtown, centered on the Plaza and running southwest along Main Street toward the library. This old-fashioned boutique shopping area is home to many amazing restaurants. In fact, you'll have a hard time finding a bad meal. Connected to this area is 93-acre Lithia Park which was designed in part by John McLaren (also the designer of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park) in 1914. The other business district is around two miles to the southeast along Siskiyou Boulevard where it meets Ashland Street/Highway 66, near the Southern Oregon University campus and the Ashland Shopping Center. Ashland has a limited number of drive-through permits, and thus fast food joints. Wendy's, Taco Bell, Subway and other chains are still open in Ashland. Outside of the business districts, Ashland offers a host of outdoor attractions. The famous Pacific Crest Trail, Crater Lake, rafting, biking and Mount Ashland ski slope are all nearby.

Take a walk along Ashland Creek running down from the hills along Lithia Park, along Calle Guanajuato, running behind the Plaza restaurants and storefonts, and through the center of town. There are plenty of picnic benches and sitting benches for contemplation and conversation in the woods, as well as duck ponds, playgrounds, two large greens and a skating rink in the winter.

1 Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 15 S. Pioneer St, ☏ +1 541 482-4331, toll-free: +1-800-219-8161 (box office). February through November with no plays on Mondays. One of the largest venues for production of Shakespeare's plays in North America, OSF provides a continuous run of theatrical works from early spring until late fall. In a single weekend, adventurous theater lovers can easily fit in 3 or 4 plays. The rotating repertory season of 11 plays typically includes three Shakespeare pieces, with the remainder made up of modern classics, contemporary pieces, and often one or two world or West coast premieres. The staging and acting is of consistently high quality, but the festival is very popular and buying tickets in advance is almost mandatory. Last-minute travelers can pick up spare tickets at the on-site box office or by holding up a sign on the festival plaza (aka "the bricks"). If you come during the spring or fall and/or see shows on Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday night you can sometimes get Rush tickets from the box office for 50% off or as little as $6. Call the box office the day of and ask if they think any shows will rush. Also $30-50 (discount during spring and fall, 25-50% discount for youth and seniors). Ashland Independent Film Festival. Held each year in April. Rafting on the Rogue and Upper Klamath Rivers. Check out Indigo Creek Outfitters, Northwest Rafting Company, Kokopelli River Guides, Momentum River Expeditions, Noahs Rafting for 1/2, one day, and multi-day trips. 2 Emigrant Lake.

Ashland's status as a theater and tourist destination means more good restaurants per capita than might be expected in a town of its size. There are also plenty of budget offerings for the town's college students. Many restaurants offer vegetarian choices. However, Ashland is one of the few places in Oregon that charges a 5% local sales tax on all prepared food. Here are some popular places by price and area: 1 Big Al's, 474 N Main St, ☏ +1 541 482-6481. Burgers serves standard and specialty burgers and sandwiches (including veggie burgers) as well as a complete Mexican menu. 2 The Breadboard, 744 N Main St, ☏ +1 541-488-0295. Breakfast and lunch. 3 Bento's East, 3 Granite St. Asian fusion lunch menu. 4 Louie's, 41 N Main St, ☏ +1 541 482-9701, [email protected]. Sometimes has inexpensive lunch specials. There are also fast food chains like Subway, Taco Bell and Wendy's. 5 Market of Choice Deli, 1475 Siskiyou Blvd, ☏ +1 541-488-2773. Daily 7AM-9PM. 6 The Black Sheep, 51 N Main St, ☏ +1 541-482-6414. Tu-Sa 4:30PM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-11:30PM. Remarkably authentic English pub grub. 7 Brothers Deli, 95 N Main St, ☏ +1 541-482-9671. Daily 7:30AM-1:30PM. Breakfast and lunch only; omelettes, burgers, and sandwiches. 8 Greenleaf Restaurant, 49 N Main St, ☏ +1 541-482-2808, [email protected]. Fresh, Healthy & Delicious. Family Friendly. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Catering, Picnics, Boxed lunches. Vegetarian, Gluten Free & Vegan options. Hot sandwiches, soups, salads and specialties. Creekside dining.A local favorite for over 25 years.

1 Creekside Pizza, 92 1/2 N Main St, ☏ +1 541-482-4131. Newly reopened with a satisfying selection of beer and pizza. The Black Sheep, 51 N Main St, ☏ +1 541-482-6414. Tu-Sa 4PM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-11:30PM. English-style pub offering a full menu of many pub food classics and specialties as well as draft and bottled beers and spirits. Louie's Bar and Grill, 41 N Main St. Family-friendly "Cheers" atmosphere, bi-weekly rotating microbrews, historic 100-year-old restored bar. 2 The Caldera Taproom, 590 Clover Ln, ☏ +1 541 482-HOPS (4677). Extensive offering of beer brewed in Ashland by Caldera Brewing Company with a small menu of pub fare. 3 Winchester Wine Bar, 35 S 2nd St. Specializes in local wines. They have wineries pour every Thursday night. The bar also functions as a retail bottle shop. Live music on Fridays and Saturdays with no cover. 4 Grizzly Peak Winery, 1600 E Nevada St, ☏ +1 541 482-5700, [email protected]. (updated Feb 2020) 5 Noble Coffee Roasting, 281 4th St, ☏ +1 541 488-3288. Locally (small-batch) roasted organic and fair trade coffee and a sleek, laid-back space. Located in the railroad district near several art galleries and the Greenway walking/biking path. Free wireless. 6 Mix Bakeshop, 57 N Main St, ☏ +1 541-488-9885, [email protected]. Su-Th 7AM-9PM, F-Sa 7AM-9:30PM. Serves Stumptown Coffee (from Portland a leading direct trade coffee roaster). Right downtown on the plaza high-quality sweets, pastries, and coffee. Homemade ice cream. Free wireless. 7 Case Coffee, 44 Lithia Way.

1 Winchester Inn, 35 S 2nd St, ☏ +1 541-488-1113, toll-free: +1-800-972-4991. Two blocks from OSF. 19 rooms and suites. Full gourmet breakfast included. Beautiful gardens. Free WiFi. Great packages available. Historic building, 1st southern Oregon Hospital. Rates are $140-190 in winter, $165-299 in spring/fall and $205-299 in summer. 2 Palm Cottages, toll-free: +1-800-691-2360. Across from Southern Oregon University, a few blocks from downtown, and is known for being a two-time winner of the Ashland Garden of Month award. It has a pool, a lot of gardens, phones, cable TV, kitchens, free WiFi and a horde of other amenities. Rates range from $64 to $98 in winter, $69-$115 in Spring/Fall and $95-169 in summer. 3 Columbia Hotel, toll-free: +1 800-718-2530. Right downtown 1 block from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival at 262 East Main Street. Rates range from $49 to $69 in winter, $59-$105 in Spring/Fall and $73-$125 in summer. The Columbia is special in that walking up the stairs is akin to going back to 1910 when it was built. It's a must see when you visit Ashland. Ashland's Bed and Breakfast Network, toll-free: +1-800-944-0329. Is an association of 25+ inns that cooperatively provide free lodging referral service for visitors to Ashland, Oregon. ABBN is Ashland's only lodging association run entirely by volunteers, and the B&B have all met the associations high standards set for membership. 4 Chanticleer Inn, 120 Gresham St, ☏ +1 541-482-1919. Ashland's oldest luxury B&B in quiet historic neighborhood. Elegantly renovated 1920 Craftsman.

Exit 11 (Northbound only), 14 or 19 from Interstate 5 in Oregon. Greyhound stops in nearby Medford. The local RVTD bus Route 10 stops at Mr. C's (where the Greyhound bus stations is) at :26 & 56 past the hour. The bus ride into downtown will take you about 10 minutes. Buses run between 5:26AM and 6:56PM, Monday-Friday. You pay when you get on the bus. Taxi service is available from Ashland Taxi Cab +1 541 890-8080 or Yellow Cab +1 541 482-3065. The Medford International Airport is located 15 miles north of Ashland and is serviced by Allegiant Air, United Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air. Cascade Airport Shuttle +1 541 488-1998, taxis and some hotels provides service from the airport to Ashland for a nominal fee. If you are flying your own plane, you can use the Ashland airport (S03). The closest Amtrak station is located in Klamath Falls, approximately 80 miles away. A shuttle meets the Coast Starlight from California at 10:20AM each day arriving in Ashland at 1PM If you are traveling from the north you must take the connection bus from Portland to the Ashland shuttle. Both shuttles arrive at Safeway about a half mile from downtown. Check www.amtrak.com for more information. *Note:* The Southwest Point shuttle from Klamath Falls to the area is much cheaper than adding the bus leg on an Amtrak ticket [1]

Parking is free, and easy to find in the wintertime, but summertime availability is a different story, with downtown parking getting quite scarce on evenings when the Shakespeare Festival has shows (i.e., every night but Monday). Many hotels and B&Bs are located close enough to the center of town to make it an easy walk. There are bike lanes downtown and extending outward from the downtown area, making this an easy town to bike around in. Most days, the Rogue Valley Transportation District operates buses running from one end of town to the other; these buses are $2.00. Be aware, however, the buses run limited hours (5:30AM to 7PM) and do not run at all on weekends.